Postwar Lionel ZW Handle Number Color Question

I am looking at my ZW and it would appear that the inside throttles are in fact white. However the outside throttles appear to have either gold or a very light brown color. So much for consistency. Having never looked closely and without investigating now, I would have said white all around.

I got curious after seeing this post and went to check the 2 ZWs I have.  One is on my layout and the other is a back up.  I never took note of the color of the numbers before so I had to check.  I was interested to find that on both transformers the outer left handle numbers are in red while all of the others are plain white.  I'm guessing the outer left handles are reproductions since everything else is in white.

Thank you both for the info. I was not sure if the outer handles were replaced at one time or another. If anyone else has differing info regarding red numbered outer handles lmk.

I guess there is a possibility that at one time the outside throttles on my ZW could have been red like blood but like an old scab have turned to Brown (LOL).

I see the handles on Henning's Trains have the left one with red numbers.  They manufacture those under license from Lionel, so they should have gotten the colors right.

Both of my ZWs have red numbers on the outside handles and white on the inside. Pretty sure they are original. I see many of the repro outside handles have white letters.

Pete

Mine is a 1951 or 1952 version, all original.  The outside handles are red and the insides are white.

thank you guys again for the valuable information. I will leave the red touch up paint on the outside handle numbers and the white touch up on the inside handles and other lettering on the housing.

@OKHIKER posted:

...on both transformers the outer left handle numbers are in red while all of the others are plain white.  I'm guessing the outer left handles are reproductions since everything else is in white.

Everybody else has all red numbered outer handles, so maybe both of your right white outer handles are reproductions.

@ADCX Rob posted:

Everybody else has all red numbered outer handles, so maybe both of your right white outer handles are reproductions.

You are probably right Rob.  After reading all of the other posts re: the red numbers being originals I realized I had it backwards because it is the white ones which are the repros not the red.